On the Rise
by Gentle-Darkness
Summary: Amon has been exposed and Korra has finally awakened her Avatar potential. All is well...or so it seems. Republic City's security is still recovering from the final battle with the Equalists and the major gangs see this as an opportunity to strike. Now, Team Avatar must stop the gang's rampage before the citizens rise up and start a second Equalist movement.


On the Rise

*Hey FF. It's been a while. With preparation for 3rd year in college, I haven't had much time to write, but I knew this was long overdue. Please enjoy.*

Chapter 1: Homecoming

Korra opened her eyes and stepped away from Chief Beifong. Chief Beifong stood from her kneeling position and turned toward the many stones that surrounded the daïs. She lifted her hands and the stones rose into the air. She let them fall and gave Korra an appreciative smile.

"Thank you."

Korra returned the smile. Tenzin walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. He smiled down at her.

"Well done…Avatar Korra."

Korra felt herself swell with pride at those words. She had done it. She had finally become a fully realized Avatar. She walked over to the edge of the daïs and looked over the ocean of the South Pole, glistening in the evening sunlight. She turned her gaze over to the cliff where she was finally able to connect with her past life. With a jolt of surprise, she saw the outline of Aang standing on the cliff. He waved at her and grinned. She smiled back.

_Aang…Thanks._

She turned to look at all of her friends. Bolin gave her a very enthusiastic thumbs-up. Jinora was beaming at her. Ikki was surprisingly silent, but still gave Korra a toothy grin. Meelo was rolling around in the snow, laughing hysterically. Pema was holding Rohan while keeping an eye on her other son. She caught Korra's eye and winked. Asami stood next to Mako. The two seemed to be avoiding each other's eyes and Korra felt a pang of guilt. The awkwardness between the two was mostly her fault, but Mako had assured her that he was no longer with Asami. She shook her head, clearing her mind of such dark thoughts. Bringing her smile back, she called out to everyone.

"Hey, why don't we go home?"

Everyone agreed and, within the hour, they were on their way back to Republic City.

* * *

When the group arrived in Republic City, It was quite late in the evening. The lights of the city sparkled off of the crystal waters of Yue Bay. Korra had never thought the city had looked so beautiful. The peaceful silence was broken by a chorus of strange, squelching gurgles. It took everyone a moment to realize that it was their stomachs. A unanimous decision was made; it was time to get some food. Unfortunately, it was late enough that all the restaurants had closed for the night. Then Asami came to the rescue.

"I have an idea…Find me a telephone, and I'll take care of the rest."

Once Asami had gotten to a phone, she made a few quick phone calls. When she was finished, she announced to the group that she was treating them all to dinner at Kuang's Cuisine, which would open up just for them. Lin declined the invitation.

"I've been away from my city for long enough. Time for me to get back to work."

When they found out where they were going, the Airbender children were ecstatic. Jinora and Ikki gushed about what they would wear and how they would accessorize. Meelo just kept shouting "Fancy Bathrooms!" Everyone agreed that, if they were going to a restaurant such as this, they might as well dress for it. An hour later, the group met up again, dressed in their finest clothes. Tenzin and Pema looked almost like royalty. Tenzin's formal Airbender robes made him look quite dashing, while Pema's elegant dress and hair made her look like a queen. When Korra asked her how she managed to do up her hair so quickly, Pema just winked and told her it was a secret. Korra turned her eyes to Mako and her heart skipped a beat. He looked extremely handsome in a pressed white suit and a black ascot. His father's scarf hung loosely around his neck, giving him a look of formal nonchalance. His eyes locked with hers and she saw the same amazement in his eyes that she felt. He smiled at her.

"Wow, Korra…You look great."

Korra quickly found herself blushing.

"Well, you don't look to shabby yourself, handsome."

Bolin cleared his throat loudly.

"Um, Korra? Forgetting someone?"

Korra looked over at Bolin. He was dressed in a plain black suit. He would have looked very formal if it wasn't for him flexing his muscles in different poses. Korra couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, Bolin. You look nice too. Now will you stop it with the 'tough guy' act?"

Bolin sighed with a smile and put a hand on Korra's shoulder, nodding understandingly.

"Ok, Ok. I understand. I'm just too much for you to handle. I get it. I often have that effect on beautiful women, as you well know."

Mako stepped up and playfully punched Bolin in the shoulder.

"Easy there, little bro. You're talking to someone who could actually hurt you, remember?"

Laughing, the three of them hurried to catch up with the Airbender family, who had already started the walk to the restaurant.

* * *

When they entered the restaurant, they were escorted to a private room in the back and found Asami sitting at a large table, waiting for them. Korra looked at Asami with a sheepish look on her face.

"Asami…Are you sure about this?"

Asami smiled at Korra.

"Yes, of course. When my dad went to prison, the company was entrusted to me, which means I'm the primary stockholder and the owner of all of Future Industries' assets…"

She trailed off as she got many confused looks.

"It means I control all my dad's money."

Understanding seemed to dawn on everyone. Pema smiled at Asami.

"We can't thank you enough. It is very kind of you to…to…"

She trailed off, her smile becoming strained. A lock of hair kept falling in her face and Meelo kept blowing it back up, enhancing his breath with Airbending. Before he could do it again, Pemo clapped a hand over his mouth. She spoke through somewhat gritted teeth.

"Meelo, sweetie. Please stop blowing in mommy's face."

Meelo grinned as his mother shuddered; confirming that Meelo just licked her palm. Jinora and Ikki giggled. Rohan yawned and snuggled deeper in the blanket he was wrapped in.

* * *

The meal was wonderful. The food was delicious and everyone had a great time. The host came by often and catered to their every need. He even got a back rub for Bolin when he jokingly asked for one. A beautiful woman of about 25 came out from the back and gave an extremely happy Bolin a massage. Jinora kept flashing the masseuse dirty looks for some reason Korra didn't know. A waiter came to take their orders. He was tall, lean, and very, _very _handsome. He flashed a brilliant smile as he asked for their orders. Everyone said what they wanted, except for Ikki, who was uncharacteristically quiet. She managed to quietly squeak out her order. After the waiter left the only thing that she could say was "He's…so…GORGEOUS!."

Everyone laughed, except for Tenzin who glared at his youngest daughter. She shrugged at him.

"What? He is!"

Korra glanced guiltily at Mako. She couldn't disagree; even she found the waiter very attractive. The time past by pleasantly. Everyone was joking and laughing. Even the usually stony-faced Tenzin was chuckling and telling jokes. Korra was happier than she had been in months.

The wonderful atmosphere was shattered by the sound of breaking plates and terrified screams. After a confused moment, Team Avatar sprang into action. Mako was the first to head toward the commotion, Korra right behind him. Asami and Bolin were hot on their heels.

"It came from the front!" Mako shouted

When the four reached the front of the restaurant, a terrifying scene lay before them. Tables were overturned and shattered plates littered the floor. The wait staff and chefs were cowering on the floor, their hands over their heads. Korra noticed the handsome waiter who had taken their orders was pinned to the wall by large spikes of ice. He was unconscious, but otherwise looked unhurt. There were four men bustling about. Two of them wore masks. The two that weren't wearing masks were standing in the middle of the room. One of them was tall and thin. He had silver hair that covered one eye and a very large jug on his back filled with water. His blue eyes were cold and uncaring as he scanned the room, making sure no one was moving. The other man was huge. About seven feet tall, the hulking man towered over everyone. It seemed as if his body was made of pure muscle. The man with the silver hair was bending a stream of water around him almost nonchalantly, like he was bored. The water surrounding him was glittering with a pale blue light. When he spoke, his voice was cold, and almost lazy.

"Now, stay put and everyone will be just fine. Give us trouble and we will have a problem."

One of the masked men was emptying the cash register into a large bag. Another was going around to the staff and demanding any and all valuables. His voice was rough and heavily accented.

"Comon' lass, I 'aven't got all day! 'And over the gold!"

A female waiter was refusing to hand over her golden necklace. The rest of the wait staff looked on helplessly. Team Avatar looked at each other and nodded. They sprang from behind the wall they were using as cover. Korra entered a ready stance.

"Stop right there!"

The man with the accent looked up. His eyes widened behind the mask.

"Jace! It's the Avatar!"

The silver-haired man, turned, a look of surprise on his face. The look of surprise quickly turned to a scowl.

"Pack it up boys! We're leaving!"

All four of the men grabbed their swag and rushed for the door. Before they reached it, a large wall of earth shot through the carped floor, blocking their escape. The four turned back to face team Avatar. Bolin grinned and waggled his finger.

"Nu-uh. You guys aren't leaving until you finish everything on your plate."

He flashed an apologetic look at a nearby waiter.

"And we'll…pay for the carpet…ya know…later…"

The silver-haired man called Jace chuckled.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to pass."

He raised his hands and the stream of water that had circled him stretched and elongated, then froze, creating a floor-to-ceiling wall of ice. Mako and Korra nodded at each other and both sent a jet of flames at the wall. Suddenly there was a large crash and the sound of running footsteps. Korra and Mako let up their torrent of flames. The wall of ice remained with barely a scratch in it. Korra stared at it, dumbfounded.

"W-what? How?!"

Mako unleashed another torrent of fire on it. The wall still stood. Mako let out a growl of frustration and threw all he had at the wall. Nothing happened. There was a call from the other side of the wall.

"The Red Monsoon's are takin' this city! No one'll stand in our way!"

There was the sound of screeching tires and Korra knew that there was no way that they could catch them. Engulfing her right fist in the hottest flames she could muster, Korra punched the wall in anger. She nearly broke her hand. Crying out in pain in frustration, she backed away from the wall, rubbing her throbbing hand.

"What's with this water?! Why can't we break it?!"

Tenzin came rushing into the room.

"What happened?"

Mako turned to him and explained everything that happened. Tenzin nodded and approached the wall. He examined it closely for what seemed like ages. He backed away from the wall, his eyes wide.

"It can't be…"

Korra looked from the wall to Tenzin, confused.

"What is it?"

Tenzin shook his head, dumbfounded.

"This is the purest water I've ever seen. There is only one kind of water that  
I know of that could be this pure and untouchable. My father mentioned it to me once when I was a little boy. The place that this water came from was lost thirty-seven years ago to a massive avalanche…"

Korra couldn't help some of her impatience creep into her voice.

"What is it?"

"This is water taken from the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole. It was said to have magical properties. My mother actually brought my father back from the brink of death with just a small vile of this water. How that man managed to get his hands on such a large amount is…"

He trailed off, his brow furrowed. He turned to Korra.

"Korra, I'm going to ask you to try something, alright?"

Korra nodded.

"Place your hand on the wall and imagine it bending to your will."

Korra gave him a confused look.

"You mean bend it?"

Tenzin shook his head.

"No, not in the traditional sense. You're not bending the water with your abilities, you're going to be bending the water with your spirit."

Korra stared blankly at him.

"Ummm….How do I do that."

Tenzin sighed.

"I don't know. This is just something I remembered my father telling me."

Korra took a deep breath and prepared herself.

"Alright…I'll give it a try."

She walked up to the wall and placed her hand on its smooth surface. It wasn't freezing like she expected. It was warm and seemed to pulse under her touch. Closing her eyes, Korra concentrated. She could feel it. She could feel the water flowing in a dance of organized chaos under her fingertips. It wasn't a physical connection, but something more, something deeper. The water seemed to respond to her slightest suggestion. She imagined it melting down, returning to its natural form. Korra opened her eyes and was surprised to see that the wall was no longer there. The water had melted into a perfectly round puddle and lay motionless at her feet. Mako gaped at her.

"How did you…?"

Korra looked at him and shrugged. Turning her attention back toward the door, she saw something almost as strange as the Oasis water. The wall of earth that Bolin had created to slow the robbers had shattered and turned a blue-white color. Korra picked up one of the pieces. It was freezing to the touch. A moment later, Korra cried out as the chunk of wall began to melt in her hand. The wall hadn't just frozen, it had been turned to ice. Mako walked up next to Korra, a worried expression on his face.

"Whoever did this was a really strong bender…I've never seen anything like this…"

Suddenly, there were more screeching tires and the echo of sirens. Moments later, two police trucks skidded to a halt in front of the restaurant. Among those that exited the trucks was Lin. She was once again in her Metalbender Corps. armor. She walked briskly and with a purpose, surveying the scene as she approached Korra.

"What happened here?"

"There was a robbery. These guys just burst in and took the money and some stuff from the employees."

Lin swore under her breath.

"Another one? This isn't good…"

Asami had appeared next to Korra.

"What's going on here?"

Lin sighed and rubbed her temples.

"There has been a massive spike of criminal activity all around the city in the past hour. From break-ins to arson, they just keep coming. There was even a jailbreak. The gangs are pushing the city hard. They know we're still recovering from the aftermath of the Equalist revolution."

She looked behind her at the city. Korra could hear it now. The echoes of shouts, screams, and breaking glass. It truly was chaos. The sun announced the early hours of the morning by creeping up over the horizon. A delivery truck came by with the morning paper. Lin stopped him and took a copy. She took one look at it, then tossed it away with a look of disgust. Korra snatched it up and read the headline.

_On the Rise: Republic City in chaos as the gangs push hard for control of the city._

End Chapter 1

Please review and tell me what you think.


End file.
